KADAPA: In a strategic push to weaken YSRC's hold on Proddatur Municipality, the TDP has been actively encouraging councillors to defect. Following the general elections, 14 YSRC councillors already switched allegiance to the TDP, and on October 1, two more councillors—Ramadevi from the 36th ward and Jilan Basha from the 14th ward—joined the party in the presence of MLA N. Varadarajulu Reddy. This has increased TDP's presence to 17 members in the 41-member municipal council.
The growing shift of councillors is largely attributed to their desire for greater government support in developing their respective wards, with more YSRC members reportedly considering joining the TDP. Proddatur Municipality, the second largest urban civic body in the erstwhile YSR district after Kadapa Municipal Corporation, holds significant political and commercial importance. YSRC had previously dominated the municipality, winning 40 out of 41 seats in the last elections, leaving TDP with no representation after their sole councillor, Shiva Jyothi, defected to the YSRC.
However, TDP's recent resurgence began with MLA Varadarajulu Reddy's victory over YSRC's Rachamallu Sivaprasad Reddy in Proddatur, triggering a political realignment. With the latest inclusions, TDP now holds 17 seats, including the ex-officio member, MLA Varadarajulu Reddy. The party needs 22 members to take control of the municipality.
Reddy is reportedly working diligently to persuade more YSRC councillors to join the TDP and break YSRC's dominance over Proddatur. He emphasized that those joining TDP are motivated by a genuine desire for Proddatur's development, not by any inducements, and are voluntarily aligning with the party to drive progress in the municipality.